Job Title: Quality Manager — Skincare & Personal Care (CPG)
Location: Los Angeles, CA [Remote]
Reports to: VP of Supply Chain
Employment Type: Full-time
Position Summary: Lead and maintain the quality management system for skincare and personal care consumer packaged goods (CPG). Ensure product safety, regulatory compliance, consistent product quality, and continuous improvement across formulation, manufacturing, packaging, and supply chain activities. Act as quality subject-matter expert for cross-functional teams (R&D, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Regulatory, and Marketing).
Key Responsibilities:
Maintain and continuously improve the Quality Management System (QMS) including SOPs, batch records, change control, CAPA, and document control.
Oversee incoming components, bulk specifications, in-process and finished product quality testing, stability programs, and release decisions.
Define and monitor quality standards (specifications, acceptance criteria) for raw materials, intermediates and finished goods specific to skincare/personal care formulations (emulsions, serums, lotions, creams, surfactants, aerosols, etc.).
Lead root-cause investigations and implement CAPA for customer complaints, nonconformances, deviations, and out-of-specification results.
Coordinate product stability studies, accelerated aging testing, and shelf-life determinations; interpret results and update labeling/storage claims.
Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and guidance (FDA cosmetic regulations, EU cosmetic regulation, IFRA where applicable, GMPs for cosmetics, labeling claims, CPSC, and regional/local requirements).
Support new product introductions: quality input during formulation scale-up, pilot runs, technology transfer, and launch readiness.
Work with manufacturing to establish process controls, in-line quality checks, and batch record integrity to reduce variability and waste.
Support internal and external audits (GMP, supplier, customer) and implement corrective actions.
Maintain QA metrics and KPIs; prepare periodic quality reports and present findings to leadership.
Collaborate with Regulatory Affairs for claims substantiation, safety notifications, and product registrations as needed.
Work cross functionally with PD and Supply Chain to create and maintain component specifications.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Cosmetic Science, Pharmaceutical Science, Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical) or Quality Management.
5+ years of progressive quality experience in CPG cosmetics, skincare, personal care, or related industries; 2+ years in a leadership role preferred.
Strong knowledge of cosmetic/GMP quality systems, stability testing, microbiology basics for personal care products, preservative efficacy testing (PET), and analytical testing methods.
Experience with supplier qualification, audits, and vendor quality management.
Proven experience leading investigations, CAPA, and change control.
Familiarity with regulatory frameworks impacting cosmetics/personal care (FDA, EU, IFRA, CLP/REACH considerations desirable).
Strong data analysis skills; comfortable with quality metrics, SPC, and basic statistical tools.
Excellent communication, cross-functional collaboration, and project management skills.
Detail-oriented, pragmatic decision-maker with process-improvement mindset.
Preferred / Nice-to-have:
Certification in Quality (e.g., CQE, CQA) or Cosmetic Science (e.g., IFSCC, SCCS involvement).
Experience with formulation chemistry and ingredient functionality.
Experience with ERP/QMS software (e.g., MasterControl, TrackWise, SAP) and LIMS.
Understanding of sustainability/clean-beauty standards and related supply chain issues.
Performance Metrics (examples):
On-time product release rate
Number of customer complaints per million units
CAPA closure time and recurrence rate
Supplier quality defect rate
Stability program completion and accuracy of shelf-life claims
Audit nonconformances and corrective action effectiveness